Turnbutton



F. 1. COUCH.-

TURNBUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1920.

Patented Feb. 15,1921.

m ma M mm BY W %;; ATTORNEY UNITED STA'I S PATENT OFFICE.

FoRRnsT J. COUCH, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To CLARK-CADLE-HARMON' CORPORATION, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TURNBUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed April 30, 1920. Serial No. 377,773.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FORREST J. CoUOI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turnbuttons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

This invention relates to locking devices for turn buttons for securing doors and has for its object to provide a device simple and cheap in construction and operation to retain the button in adjusted position.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a View partially in section of my preferred embodiment mounted on a washing machine cylinder.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1. FFig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4: is a plan view of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same on the line 55 of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of my combined washer and locking device.

Similar reference characters throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

I have shown my invention applied to a washing machine cylinder or other support 1. of wood for which it is particularly adapted. 2 indicates a turn .button attached thereto by the screw 3 or other means forming a pivot on which it may be rotated to coiiperate with the door 1 to retain the same in closed position. Inserted between the button 2 and the support 1 is my combined washer and locking device 5, preferably of sheet metal, such as brass, comprising a substantially fiat bearing portion 7 having a perforation therein for the pivot 3, and one or more downwardly turned teeth or projections 11 for engaging the support and preventing rotation of the washer, and an other portion 8 disposed at an angle to the plane of the bearing surface, provided thereon with a stamped-up lug 9 for the purpose of engaging a recess 18 on the under side of the button. The button rests on the bearing surface so as to prevent any substantial fiexure thereof while the other portion 8 has around its edge a down turned flange 10 for the purpose of preventing flexure therein so that any relative movement or yielding between the two portions of the locking device may take place substantially along the line of division between these two portions, that is between the bearmg portion 7 and the flanged portion 8.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, the door may be provided with a plate 13 ofmetal or other material suitable to prevent undue wear of the button upon the door, secured thereto in some suitable manner, such as by the screws 14. If desired, the plate 13 may be also provided with an upstanding stamped-out yieldable lug portion 15 for the purpose of cooperating with the recess 19 on the underside of the button, when in its closed or looking position. Although Fig. 5 shows these two locking devices 5 and 13 cooperating with the button to doubly'insure its being retained in a looking or closed position, it will nevertheless be understood that either one of these devices alone may be used if desired.

In operation when the door 1 is closed, the button 2 is turned to the position shown by Figs. 1 and 2, during which movement the locking device 5 will be depressed until the upstanding lug 9 engages the recess 18 to prevent the button from turning. movement of thebutton in either direction, when positively actuated by the hand or otherwise, is suflicient to cause the button recess to disengage the locking device, but in normal operation its engagement with V the button is sufiicient to hold the same in its locking or closed position. Should there be relative looseness of the button on the screw 3, the locking device 5 acting upon one end of the button only will tend to press the other end thereof into close contact with the door a, and the portion of the locking device 5 flexed by relative movement of the two parts 7 and 8 thereof will not be so restricted as when the button bears firmly and uniformly on the part 7. When the additional locking device 15 is used, the action of the button in opening and closing, is

substantially the same, except that both recesses are then engaged by upstanding lugs to prevent rotation.

If desired both the support 1 and the door 4: may be recessed, as at 12 and 16 respectively, beneath the upstanding lugs 9 and 15 in order to enable the bottom. of the button to more easily clear the tops off the upstanding lugs, when the button is being moved from its closed or locking position. It will be noted that with the combined washer and locking device 5, no separate screws are necessary, other than the pin 3 for holding said washer in position and preventing rotation thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a support, oi? a non-rotatably mounted resilient locking device provided with a lug and a button mounted on said locking device to prevent wear on the support and provided with a lug engaging portion which operates with said lug when said button is in its looking or closed position to prevent movement out of said closed or locking position.

2. A locking washer provided with a substantially fiat bearing portion and another portion yieldable relatively to said bearing portion, arranged at an angle to the plane thereof and provided with a flange thereon to prevent flexure within said other portion.

3. The combination with a support, of a resilient locking device non-rotatable'thereon comprisinga substantially flat bearing portion and another portion yieldable relative thereto, arranged at an angle to the plane of said flat portion and provided with a flange thereon toprevent flexure within the flanged portion, and a button rotatably mounted on said bearing portion about a pivot and adapted'by its pressure thereon to prevent fiexure of said bearing portion whereby yielding of one part of the looking device relative to another is substantially restricted to the division between the bearing and angularly disposed portions.

4. A support,pin, and recessed button rotatable about and secured by the pin to the support, and a non-rotatable locking washer encircling said pin and positioned between said button and support and comprising a substantially flat bearing portion on which the button is adapted to rotate, another portion yieldable relative to the bearing portion, provided with a flange around the edge thereof arranged at an angle to the plane of said bearing portion and engaging means on said other portion adapted to cooperate with said button to hold the same in looking or closed position.

5. A. support, pin, and recessed button rotatable about and secured by the pin to the support, a non-rotatable locking washer encircling said pin and positioned between said button and support by said pin and button and comprising a substantially flat bearing portion. on which the button is adapted to rotate, another portion yieldable relative to the bearing portion, provided with a flange around the edge thereof to prevent fiexure of said portion and arranged at an angle to the plane of said bearing portion, a lug on said other portion adapted to cooperate with said button to hold the same in looking or closed position, a door cooperating with said support and over which said button is adapted to be rotated to hold the same closed, and a looking device secured to said door, below the button and provided with a resilient lug adapted to engage another portion of said button when the same is in its closed or locking position.

(3. A locking washer provided with a substantially flat bearing portion. with a neutral aperture therein for the reception of a securing pin, a tooth on said bearing portion adapted for engagement with a support for the washer to prevent its rotation thereon about the pin. another portion at an angle to the plane of the bearing portion and yieldable relative thereto, a lug on said other portion adapted to coact with a but-' ton, and aflange on the edge of said other portion to prevent flexure therein.

ronnns'r J. COUCH. 

